101 Ways To Be A Friend
by RacheyVengeance
Summary: My take on the 100 theme challenge, with an extra theme for the ending. AkuDemy throughout, rated M for later chapters.
1. The Introduction

A lanky boy was laid back in his posh room, long body splayed across a down comforter. His hair was surrounded by charcoal pillows. His twitching, emerald green eyes scanning the ceiling for the unknown. His head lolled to the side, looking at the other luxurious bed adjacent to his. There had been no signs of life in this bed besides his own in the passed two weeks the boy lived in this metal castle.

A knock on the door. The boy didn't move from his seemingly comfortable position, eyes still trained on the other bed.

"What." He called out, voice gruff.

"Uhm. I'm Edmy.. They said I'm staying in this room?" A meek voice said through the white oak door.

"Oh." Well there was the sign of life the boy had been looking for. "Come in, I guess." Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing a small boy, no older than 15 standing on the other side. A sandy blond mullet/Mohawk fawning his head, bright blue eyes surrounded by dark purple bruise like shadows. He was petite in build, but he looked strong, like he could take you down if he had to.

He was carrying nothing but the uniforms required, some street clothes that the Organization allowed him for weekends, and pajamas, not to exclude the teal Sitar strapped to his back. The elder glanced at the Chackrams sticking halfway out from under his bed. He couldn't help but think how the kid had died young. But then again, so had he.

"The names Axel, got it memorized?" The boy laying on the bed stated, his voice wafting over to Edmy. He pulled himself into a sitting position, feet drawing the blanked under him closer. "You'll get a name soon enough."

Edmy's face was sincerely confused.

Axel sighed. "They've got a naming ceremony or something. I don't know what it is. They just mess with the letters in your name and throw an 'X' in for good measure. My name used to be Lea. Changed it to Axel. I like it better." A smile christened Edmy's thin, punk lips. He still stood awkwardly in the doorway. Axel shook his head a little and jabbed a long finger towards the other bed. "That's yours."

Edmy nodded and slowly walked into the room, kicking the door closed behind him with a steel toe clad army boot. He was dressed in baggy jeans with a black tank top on. Yellow and purple bruises riddled his arms s and his necked donned a particularly gruesome black one. Axel knew Edmy saw him looking, but Edmy didn't say anything.

Edmy took the jumble of clothing and put it in the respective places in his dresser. He took the sitar off his scrawny back, he set it against the wall, allowing his fingers to drift over the cords, strumming out a few thick, rich notes. He glanced at Axel's bedside clock, blinking.

"I'm going to go take a shower and go to bed." Edmy gulped, and walked to the doorless bathroom.

Axel laughed a little to himself. "That's the first sentence I've heard you speak willingly, kid." He fell back on the bed again, blankets and pillows bamfing up around him. He ran his hand across the carpet beneath the bed, grinning tiredly when he found what he was looking for. His fingers wrapped around the silver remote, bringing It above the bed and turning the TV on, only to drop the remote and have it roll under the bed again. He grumbled.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Edmy ran the shower, climbing in. He sat on the bottom of the marble shower stall, letting the warm water cascade down over his abused skin. He closed his eyes, forcing back tears threatening to fall.

"Stupid.. Organization 13.." He whispered to himself. "They took my heart. So I'm not supposed to feel. So why do I? I'm so scared.. I don't want to do this anymore.. It hurts.." He placed a hand over where his heart should be. He felt so empty inside, like there was a gaping hole in his chest. He apparently closed his eyes too long though, as his body slumped backwards as he fell asleep.

Fifteen minutes later, Axel called to Edmy. "You alright, kid?" No response. Fearing he had somehow drowned in the shower, he went in to check on him, only to find the boy splayed out across the bottom of the stall, snoring. Axel laughed and shook his head, at least until he took a closer look at the boy and noticed every square inch of him was coated in cuts, scrapes, and bruises. "Christ, kid. What _happened_ to you!?" he asked himself.

Reaching in and shutting off the water, he draped a fuzzy towel over the boy and pulled him to the bedroom, drying him off and dressing him in the comfiest pajamas he could find, doing his best not to look at the boys naked body. He pulled the blankets back and covered him, tucking him in like he would a little brother. He patted him on the head.

"You'll be ok, kid. I wont let anyone else hurt you." He ran his hands through the boys hair. He then walked over and turned out the lights and climbed into his own bed. "G'night, Ed." He murmured, finally turning over and falling asleep.

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*Bamf: A sound made in an X-Men comic when Nightcrawler would appear and dissapear.

Well, there you go, it's redone haha. And what can I say? Ed had a troubling life. Axel can help him get over it though.

If you read it, review it!

-Ven


	2. Love Like Winter

Sorry about the wait! Fanfiction was being a total bitch, and not working at all, so I couldn't upload anything, but atleast I got this chapter and two more done in advance!

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Axel stretched and yawned, his bones popping with the effort. Rolling onto his left shoulder, he pulled the quilt to his chin and looked to the bed adjacent to his, where Edmy was sleeping. He looked so much more peaceful, less tormented, when he was asleep. When he'd first walked into his new home, he looked at Axel like said boy was going to throw him out of the window into the neverending void that was under the Castle That Never Was. Axel sat up and stretched, reaching for his toes. He smiled a little. A game he used to play with his mother when he'd wake up.

Memory

_"Toes! Reach for your toes, Lea!" Marna Peter smiled, her long face full of joy. "Tell them 'GOOD MORNING, TOES!'" She smiled._

_Lea reached his chubby arms as high as he could and leaned in half, his round stomach flattening to his full thighs. He grabbed his pudgy toes._

_"Gewd marning, tews!" He giggled. Marna smiled. "I wuv you, momma." He grinned._

_"I love you too, Lea." She smiled, and hugged his short, stout, three year old body._

He smiled again, and pinched his big toe for effect, before jumping out of the bed, and successfully tangling ling his long legs in the silk sheets, thus finding himself face first in the carpet.

"Good morning to you too, carpet." He mumbled, snarls of fabric muddling his speech. Jumping to his feet again, he spit out a few stray threads of the white polyester carpeting. Looking out the window, he saw rain innocently falling, smacking against the symbol shaped window with a soft pattering. He smiled, glancing over at his sleeping roommate.

"Edmy.. Eddd.." He called gently. He walked over and clutched the bony shoulder of the unconscious boy and shook gently. "Up. Time to get up.."

Edmy groaned. "Five more minutes.." His limp body lolled to the opposite direction of Axel, a pale hand swatting Axel's off of his shoulder.

"No, now.. We have to go to breakfast, and class."

A weak string of "Mmmph's" that barley resembled a "I don't want to go." were heard from underneath the lump of bedding. Further proof Edmy was still just a boy. His face was jammed into the plump, charcole pillow.

"I don't know exactly what you just said, but regardless, you need to get up." Axel jerked the covers off of the drowsy boy. Edmy immediately curled into a ball, reacting to the chillyness of the air.

"I said. Thank you for helping me last night. It really means a lot." His words were much clearer, now that his mouth was free of down pillow.

"It's no problem. I'll gladly help you any day." Axel laughed. Edmy blushed. Axel ruffled his hair. Edmy jerked his head away from the touch. Axel blinked and continued. "Now get up. Breakfast is at 8:15."

"What time is it now?" Edmy asked, his eyes still closed.

"7:30." Axel said, checking the clock.

"Fine." Edmy pulled himself up, into a sitting position, eyes cracking open and letting the first rays of light in. His face was full of anger.

"Hey.. Are you ok?" The firemage asked, placing a warm hand on Edmy's chilly, lower back. Edmy squirmed away from the hand again.

"I'm fine." He snapped, jumping away from Axel, and grabbing his clothes, his bare feet making slapping noises against the cold, metal floor as he bounded into the bathroom.

"Alrighty.." Axel mumbled while he began to get changed, turning on some music. He slipped on his long black pants over equally long, maybe longer pale legs, pulled ona black tank top, his boots over his huge feet, and finally the costomary black, leather robe. Just as this garment draped across his shoulders, Edmy stomped out of the bathroom.

"Let's go." He said, storming past the confused Axel and out the door to the shared room. He walked to the left.

"Uhm. Edmy?" Axel called, shuffling out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Shut up." Edmy murmered, again storming past Axel, but to the right this time.

"I did the same thing! Don't worry about it!" Axel called down the hallway encouragingly. He soon followed Edmy through the hallways, for fear the boy would actually get lost.

Edmy took a left down another unforgiving, metal hallway.

"Ed, hey, Ed, wait!' Axel called from behind him. He momentarily slowed his pace so the offending boy could catch up. "You alright?" Axel asked when he caught up with Edmy. Said boy shrugged. Axel frowned. "Don't lie to me, kid." Axel's voice became noticeably sharper, which caused the meek Edmy to flinch away. "Answer me truthfully. Are you alright." Axel asked again, putting both of his hands on the Sitarists shoulders.

"Stop.. Please.. Let me go!" He tried to shake Axels hands off, whimpering. "Please." Edmy begged.

Axel gently tugged him forward.

"I am NOT going to hurt you. Trust me." Axel said quietly. He pulled Edmy even closer, hugging him. This was responded to by a swift slap to the face, followed by a gush of cold water, and the sound of wet boots tapping through the hallway to the Hall of Empty Melodies, which had been converted to a lunchroom-esque type of thing for the moment, until a real one could be formed.

Edmy made it to said hall, and gasped for breath.

"Number Nine, what a pleasant surprise." A voice from behind said. Edmy jumped.

"Yes, sir." He muttered, voice shaking.

"Nine, please don't call me sir." Xemnas said.

"Yes.." Edmy was about to say sir. But he caught himself. Just then, a dried Axel walked into the Hall.

Xemas then shouted, "Breakfast is on the counter. Go get it. NO SECONDS. Be done in twenty minutes." He added sternly. Apparently Xaldin didn't have enough talent to cook too much. Edmy walked to the buffet looking thing and grabbed a plate of something that looked like waffles, but more deformed, and burnt. Axel did the same, following close behind the boy.

Edmy sat at the first table he found. Needless to say, he was a bit of an outcast. Nobody was paying attention to him. Well, nobody but Axel. Axel saw the way Edmy's body would stiffen whenever someone would walk past him. This kis was seriously abused, mentally and physically.

Realizing he needed a seat of his own, he casually stepped closer to the boy and sat down cautiously. Edmy immediately went ridgid, his eyes focust on the untouched feast. He was also hyper aware of the neverending void less then three feet behind him. He'd die if he fell.

"Well? Eat. You'll never grow if you don't." Axel said gently.

Edmy picked up the fork, but before taking a bite, he whispered "I'm sorry about hitting you earlier.. And dousing you.. I'm just not used to being touched. At least, not without a bruise to show for it." He took a bite. And another small one.

"Well don't worry. I'll never hurt you. In fact, I'd like to kill the persons who did this to you." He ran his fingers over the black bruise gently, drawing a shiver from Edmy from the touch, and a small trail of goosebumps. Edmy blushed. "Hey. You're allowed to eat more than that, ya know." This was Edmy's que to start filling his face like a starving goat. He was done before Axel could even pick up his fork and eat his own food.

Edmy blushed again, realizing what he'd done. "Sorry." he whispered. This was barley audioable over the growl of his stomach though. He blushed a third time.

"Don't apologize. You're only human." His voice was gentle, subtle, and loving. "Well, almost human." He laughed. Edmy just kept staring at the empty plate, his stomach continuously protesting the ceased flow of food. Axel looked down at his own, un-touched food. He sighed, wiping his fork off, then spearing the waffles, dropping them on his tablemates plate.

"Uh..no. I don't need these." He shoved them back to Axel. Axel noticed the sad face he'd made when attempting to return the food.

"No. I don't want them. I'm not even hungry." Axel lied. Truth was, he was so hungry he could've eat the waffles, the plate, and the chair under him for desert, but, in his previous life, he'd had to learn how to survive on little or no food. He'd gone without for a week at one point. He could manage to sacrifice breakfast.

"Ok. I guess." He hesitantly took them, gulping them down withing seconds.

"You act like you haven't eaten in a month." Axel commented.

"It's probably almost been that long." He whispered. Axel's curiosity got the best of him and he ran his fingers down the side of Edmy's coat. He could feel each and every rib. Edmy shivered again, blushing. "I'm not.. Used to being able to eat without the plate being snagged out from right under my nose. Thank you for giving me your food. It really means a lot." He smiled, then turned away quickly.

"It's uh. No problem. It's just.. Food." Axel put a hand on Edmy's shoulder, his long fingers squeezing gently. "You're going to be alright, Ed. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore. I won't let them." No sooner than this was said, a stray Lexicon flew out of nowhere, followed by a staff, both of which swiftly smacked Edmy in the head, effectively knocking him backwards into the voice. His limp body fell fast.

"Fuck." Was all Axel could said as he jumped off of the chair, following the boy down, down, down.

-------

The newly deemed Demyx's eyes fluttered open. He was laid out in the infirmary. When Axel saw the boy was finally awake, he looked right into his eyes, and for the first time, Axel noticed there was a variation in color between the tormented orbs. One was a misty, seafoam green, the other a mystical teal.

"Dem! You're awake!" Axel called, voice wavering, thick with tears.

"Dem..? Who's that?" The Water Mage whispered, his voice gruff.

"That's you. Your new name is Demyx. I'm so glad you're awake, love." He smiled.

"Oh. I see." He paused, looking Axel over. "You look like you've been crying. What happened?" He asked, making an attempt to pull himself into a sitting position, only to be thrown onto his back again, with pain as sharp as the redheads Chackrams radiating through his leg. Although, as soon as his head hit the flat pillow with a 'bamf', another pain was felt, coursing through the bandaged cranium.

"You got hit with Zexion's Lexicon really hard, and one of Xaldin's spears came next. They knocked you off of your stool and down underneath the platform. I went after you, but you hit the ground and they portaled me back to the surface. It felt like I was drowning, honestly. But anyway.. It cracked open your head, and broke your leg when you hit the ground. You've been in the infirmary for almost a week." Axel explained gently, lovingly. Demyx managed to get himself into a position that acomidated his fragile leg, but almost allowed him to sit up in the narrow, white, hospital bed.

Demyx stared at Axel for a minute. "That still doesn't explain why you're crying. I hate it when you're upset." was all he said.

And that's all it took for Axel to throw his arms around the blonde and hug him tight.

That's all it took to get Axel to whisper "I love you." Oh so tenderly in the shell of Demyx's ear.

That's all it took for Demyx to hug Axel back.

That's all it took for Demyx to whisper "I love you too." into the crook of Axel's warm neck.

That's all it took to seal up the hole in Demyx's chest.

That's all it took for the boys to be happy, whole, complete, for the first time in years.

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Alright, I know the ending sucked, and it seemed rushed, but you don't know the inside of Demyx's head. Basically, just having someone there to care for him was great, and he easially fell in love, is about it.

The next chapter is going to seem REALLY off, but it's supposed to be a dream type of thing Dem had when he was knocked out in the hospital haha.

If you read it, review it!

-Ven


	3. Shed Light

Ok people, I'm going to warn you really quickly, this mentions rape of a six to fifteen year old boy, and beating and abuse, so if that's not something you deal with easially, skip this chapter. It's not terribly important._

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_Edmy Savage sat in the small room, sunlight flowing through the barred windows. Oh how he wish he could go out and bask in it's warmth. Instead, he had to stay barred in this bright, white room. It reminded him of an insane asylum cell. It might as well be though._

_Big men came in all of the time. They'd hit him, leaving dark bruises in his tan ski. They'd do unmentionable things to him. They'd make him less and less innocent every time. He hated it. He hated them. He hated being violated like that, just so the men could go home satisfied._

_Edmy sat on the rickety metal cot in the middle of the cell. The clay walls were flaking. He hoped if he started at them long enough, they'd just go away, and he'd be free. Or maybe just crush him. Or maybe if he lay in the cot long enough, he'd melt right into it._

_Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing another big man, and interrupting Edmy's scheming. Edmy scurried into the corner of the room. Maybe if he got far enough away, they'd give up._

_That hope was short lived when two men followed behind the first. The first man brought a bag down over Edmy's head, followed by a metal bar of some kind. A shower of fists and kicks rained over him. He'd learned to stay silent though. After they'd had their fun, a final blow was brought to his head, successfully knocking him out._

_Hours later, he woke up. This new room was black. Only a single light bulb was jutting from the ceiling, illuminating the claustrophobic space. He was the only thing in the room, besides a bright blue sitar. He picked it up and practiced._

_He practiced for hours._

_For days._

_For weeks._

_For months._

_For years._

_He practiced until his callous had callous. Many men came and went in this time period. His skin paled. His dark hair went from brown to a light blonde and brown shade. In no way did he resemble what the was before. When he was the six year old in the bright white room he longed to get back to, he was fit, and tan. Sure, he had bruises and broken bones, but that didn't mean he wasn't happy looking out that big barred window. Now he was a pale, weak, fifteen year old boy, who trusted no man._

_One day, they might've taken him back to the white room, had one of the men not have gotten that rough. He hit too hard and broke one of Edmy's arms, then a leg. Then he threw Edmy against the wall too hard and his skull fractured, then his neck snapped. Edmy was finally free of this torture. If only it had been a better release._

_The man still didn't care though. He finished when he was doing, threw Edmy's broken body down, and left. Meanwhile, said boy was walking down a strange hallway, until he found a room. He walked in, and saw a bed, a comfy bed, and food, and water. Running over to the food, he gulped it down, and chugged the water in a record breaking time. Finally, he looked to the bed. Climbing into it, he relaxed, and thought. He decided he'd never have sex. Ever. Nor would he trust again. With all of the men who came and went, he knew he was gay. He didn't like women either. But no. He'd never trust again. Ever. He grinned as he finally fell into the first peaceful sleep he'd had in nine years._

_He slept and he healed, in preparation for the world ahead of him. He knew something like this was coming._

_But what he didn't know, was that he'd meet Axel, who'd change all of his decisions in a split second._

Finally, Demyx's eyelids fluttered open to see the white, metal ceiling of the infirmary, and a certain redheads emerald eyes watching him intently..

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I told you in the previous chapter that this one was going to suck!

The next ones awesome, to me at least :)

If you read it, review it!

-Ven


	4. I Will Follow You Into The Dark

Warning: Rated M for mature, for a reason people. It doesn't actually..describe the scene. Well, yeah, it does, but it's vague. :3

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Demyx was finally back in his own room again, after having stayed in the infirmary for a solid two weeks. It wasn't as bad as you'd think, though, cause first of all, he was used to broken bones, so it wasn't anything new for him. Secondally, his roommate/boyfriend/lover had stayed with him throughout the whole thing. The night long talks, holding hands under the sheets so nobody would know, the secret pecks on the cheek, and not to mention the constant stream of 'I love you's' whispered by gruff voices in the night when the lights were dim and the only things that you could hear were the calm breathing of innocent teens and the whir of machinery.

Now comfortably situated back in their room, the only things that could be heard where the deep breaths of two teenage boys in the throws of passion, the sound of fingernails raking down the flesh of one boys back, and the other boys chest, leaving angry red tears and speckles of blood in the process. The moans of the boys, as their tounges fought for dominance, and a loud thump as one boy threw them both to the floor, fire dominating water.

You could hear the sound of zippers being pulled, pants being thrown to the side, and depper moans in the darkness when one byo grasped freshly explosed flesh of the other.

You could hear the sound of a sitarists head thumping against the floor as a flurrie thrust into him. You could hear the loud moans of two, sweet teenagers climaxing together in the darkness of the room, and the now calm breathing of a blonde and a redhead who were cuddled together on the floor of their room in the dead of night.

You could hear the metallic tapping of footsteps of a certain nobody trouncing down the halls for the night checks.

You could hear the two boys scurrying and collecting discarded clothing off the floor, the awkward attempts of the boys slipping on now stained boxers, and loving kisses goodnight in the dark, before leaping into their respective beds when that certain nobody opened the door, and light flooded the room, revealing two quietly sleeping teenagers. You could hear the door close, and the certain nobody walk away.

You could hear 'I love you's' whispered into the night. You could hear the now deep breathing of the sweet boys who were now asleep, anticipating the next evening, so they could do it all over again.

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My favorite chapter so far :)

If you read it, review it!

-Ven


	5. Full Attention!

Attention, all of my probably no longer faithful readers!

I'm really really really really sorry I haven't updated since like.. my birthday, but a lot of crap has been going on at my house latley, and my mom and I aren't on good terms right now.

Plus, with all of this swineflu shit, our school has been shut down, which sure may seem like a way that I'd get more time to write, but I have a lot to do around here, and when I get BACK to school finally, we're going to have SO much to make up.

And latley, I've had so much crap that I have to do at school. Like, my online class finally started. I thought I could use that hour to write, but noo.. it's gay and I actually have to get work done. Or makeout with my boyfriend.. whichever comes first heheh..

Anyway, hopefully, this will start to get updated again, maybe only bi-weekly, or just whenever I get the time. I just REALLY want to start writing again.

So...

Over and out!

-Ven


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